Story:Star Trek: Conflict/Deadly Alliances
A renegade Starfleet captain approaches the New Insurrectionists, offering them the power to overthrow the Federation, but the return of an old friend could possibly reveal the rogue admiral's hidden agenda. Summary Chapter One Both ships are at red alert. The USS Yorktown-A has dropped out of warp. These days, any sight of a Federation ship is cause for alarm for the Insurrectionists. Instead of opening fire, the Yorktown sends a transmission to the ''Enterprise'' and the ''Admonitor''. A middle-aged captain appears onscreen; he comments on how, after being on the run for so long, even a peaceful ship would seem like a threat to them. The captain introduces himself as Arthur Rosslyn and states that he comes in peace. He further asks that they meet on the nearest planet and confer about pressing issues. Before Shield can voice an objection, Rosslyn says that meeting on either ship would be dangerous for both of them, and therefore an uninhabited planet would be the best option. They find a small, desert moon with an M-class atmosphere and Shield and Young beam down to the meeting. On the planet, they find a stone table prepared with food for them, and Arthur Rosslyn welcoming them to his planet. Chapter Two They are at first shocked, since they thought the planet was uninhabitable, but Rosslyn states that it was in jest; since this planet lies on the edge of what had been the Romulan Neutral Zone, it doesn't belong to anyone. When they ask him about the food, he said he had it replicated on the ship and brought down with him, saying that if they're going to discuss anything, they shouldn't do it on an empty stomach. They sit down to eat, but only Rosslyn eats of the food. He assures them that it is not poisoned: if he had wanted to kill them, he could have done with his ship rather than risk coming down in person. Slowly and warily, they begin eating, during which Rosslyn weaves his tale. He says that he was once a decorated captain of Starfleet, who was up for a promotion to admiralty, until he discovered the truth about the corruption within the Federation. He was told to keep his mouth shut, but he refused, and was therefore excommunicated. He then says that he's heard much about them and how they practically saved Starfleet during the Siege of the Sol System, and therefore has come to them asking if they would unite with him and together topple the Federation. Shield is skeptical, but Young is doubtful that one ship could make a difference, not when their two ships have done nothing so far. Rosslyn counters this by saying that none of their ships were crewed by men with the strength and intellect of Khan Noonien Singh, the infamous tyrant from the 21st century. When they appear quizzical, he tells them about Ceti Alpha V, and the wreckage of the SS Botany Bay, where he found the personal records of Khan, which told him how to make the "perfect man". He says he ignored this until he lost the majority of the Yorktown s crew, at which he created an army of "supermen" to crew his vessel. When he has concluded, he tells them that they can't win against the Federation without his soldiers. Edward Shield has misgivings, but Rosslyn tells him that desperate times call for desperate measures. After which he accepts Rosslyn's offer, with Young only nodding in silent indifference. Chapter Three Upon returning to their ships, Rosslyn insists on having a detachment of his supermen on each ship to act as his personal representatives. Shield has no problem with this, but Young sees a possible take-over, especially because of her mistrust of men. Fed up, she decides to go to the Yorktown and reason with Rosslyn into taking his men off her ship. But once she has left the Bridge, she is abducted by a strange hooded figure, dressed like the other Augment-soldiers. The hooded one takes her down to Deck 4, where he takes off his mask. She doesn't know who he is, but he tells her that he knows Edward Shield from a business venture they undertook together: he introduces himself as Tristan Marshal. He tells her that he's been tracking Arthur Rosslyn for several years, and has bad news to tell her. Arthur Rosslyn is mentally insane. When Young is skeptical, Marshal points out the facts of "Rosslyn's personal history" that were inaccurate: for instance, Rosslyn didn't just speak out against the corruption, he tried to assassinate a member of Starfleet Command. When that didn't work, he began allying himself with several radical organizations, whose aspirations were the downfall of the Federation. He further adds that Rosslyn killed off the entire crew of the Yorktown-A in order to replace them with Augments. Young tells Tristan Marshal that the end of the corrupt Federation is all she and Shield want, but Marshal says that Rosslyn doesn't want to end the corruption, but to kill everyone in the Federation, innocent or guilty using the Army of Augments he created. Young says nothing, and Marshal tells her that, now that Rosslyn has command of all three ships - the Yorktown, the Enterprise-C and the Admonitor - he'll send them to Earth and destroy everyone and everything in his path. He then presents her with a video recording from Rosslyn's personal logs, where he briefed his "super-men" about their plans to rain down terror upon the Federation and kill all, whether innocent or guilty. Young became especially moved by the message when Rosslyn said the following: :The innocent must die with the guilty, for, because they let tyranny endure, they are not innocent. Soon we will have the support we need to launch an assault on Earth, and when that day comes, I shall relish the chance to hear the cries of the dying - men, women and children - as they beg for mercy before a just god...me...but their sins will have reached their fullness, and I shall not obey their pathetic pleas but mock their false piety... Chapter Four Furious, Lianna Young leaves their hiding place, despite Tristan Marshal's warnings to remain hidden. But as she reaches the captain's cabin, she is confronted by Arthur Rosslyn. As she tries to leave, he slowly walks towards her, chuckling sinisterly with each step and a wicked gleam in his eyes. He asks her if she's been somewhere, revealing that he knew about her little meeting with his old enemy. He says that his presence on his ship was trivial, since, now that Rosslyn has three ships under his command, his victory is now assured. She takes out her phaser, but he seizes it in his hand, turns it on her and stuns her in the face. Meanwhile, an unauthorized beam-in from the Yorktown sends all the intruder alert alarms on. Shield asks for the Bridge to be secured, but a voice tells him it's too late for that. Turning around, he sees who the speaker is: Tristan Marshal. Marshal asks Shield how he escaped imprisonment on Earth, but Shield refuses to answer, saying that it was because he trusted Marshal that he landed in that prison in the first place. Marshal replies by saying that he's operating on his own now, without help from Starfleet, the ''Templar'' or Jean-Luc Picard, and that he needs Shield's help. Shield asks why Marshal needs his help, and Tristan replies that Arthur Rosslyn is a homicidal maniac, who has been playing them in order to get support. Shield doesn't believe him at first, but Marshal begins with his proof, including the recorded transmission. Shield is still unbelieving, and Marshal attacks him. He tells Shield to wake up, reminding him that innocent people will die if Arthur Rosslyn isn't stopped: as his temper cools down, Tristan says that Lianna might die as well if they don't stop Rosslyn now. At this, Shield asks Marshal to repeat himself. Marshal explains how she ran off in the midst of their meeting, and he states that Rosslyn might have gotten to her; he emphasizes how serious this is, since Arthur Rosslyn has recently been genetically augmented as well, becoming both physically and intellectually stronger than before. Shield and Marshal come up with a plan... Tristan tells Alicia Rookwood to lead the MACO security guards on an attack against the Augments on the ''Enterprise'', while Shield contacts the ''Admonitor'' and tells Nox to do likewise on his ship. Just as they predicted, the Yorktown drops its shields to beam reinforcement Augments onto both ships, and at this moment, while the shields are down, Edward Shield and Tristan Marshal beam on to the Yorktown. Chapter Five Once on the ''Yorktown'', Shield and Marshal sneak through the decks up to Deck 1, where they assume that she was kept, but find the captain's cabin deserted. No logs are kept, so they don't know where the captain could be. Marshal suggests hacking into the ship's security systems, which are capable of locating people onboard 24th century starships. As the two of them get to work, Shield says that this is the reason he never got this system installed on his vessel, because it is an invasion on the privacy of his crew, and therefore a breech in his trust of them. Tristan says that even such potentially dangerous things may be useful, which he proves by providing them with the location of both Rosslyn and Young: the Brig. Upon reaching the Brig, they find Young undergoing torture at the hand of Rosslyn. Shield tries to rescue her, but he soon realizes that Rosslyn really IS genetically enhanced when he throws him across the room with one blow. Marshal tells Rosslyn to let her go, since she has nothing to do with them. Rosslyn refuses, saying, referring to the torture he is giving her: :This is fun. Tristan attacks, and the two become locked in a hand-to-hand melee, with Tristan barely able to hold his own against the enhanced Rosslyn. Just as Rosslyn brings Marshal down, Shield, regaining consciousness, leaps into the battle, drawing Rosslyn's attention. Seeing that he cannot break the two of them when fighting together, Rosslyn tears off one of the cell-doors, bends it into a pole and uses it against them like a spear. Shield takes out his jian and tries to hold Rosslyn's attention while Marshal thinks of a way to secure him. He tries stunning Rosslyn, but his enhancements have made his skin more resistant that that of the Jem'Hadar. Just as he is trying to formulate a plan, Shield comes flying back at him. Rosslyn, with a demented look in his eye and a large gash on his face, slowly walks towards the down captain to end him. Taking Shield's sword, Marshal waits until Rosslyn is directly over Shield. Just before Rosslyn attacks Shield, Marshal impales Arthur Rosslyn with the sword. Rosslyn laughs, saying that this alone will not kill him. Tristan Marshal says that he deserves to die for what he's said, but he has a feeling that Rosslyn's time hasn't come. Shield rescues Lianna Young and the three of them return to their respective ships. Before parting with the ''Yorktown'', Shield and Young have one last surprise for Rosslyn. Shield has his jian beamed out of Rosslyn's gut and returned to his cabin, which does not meet with Tristan Marshal's approval, since he fears that Rosslyn might come back for revenge. With a smile, Edward Shield remarks that Rosslyn won't be doing much harm to anyone for the next several months. Several explosions rock the Yorktown, which Edward Shield states is payback from him and his crew: satchel charges placed at the central control matrix of the ship, disabling warp, impulse, phasers, torpedoes, transporters, tractor beams and shields all with one blow. They drop Tristan Marshal off at Khitomer, despite his offers to come with them. They say that this might happen another time. As they give their farewells, Shield accepts Tristan Marshal as his friend, and hopes that they might one day find themselves on the same side. Category:Fanon Crossovers Category:Star Trek: Conflict Episodes